Stock up before first-class postage increase

You can save a pretty penny by buying Forever stamps before Jan. 22, when the price of domestic first-class postage will increase from 44 to 45 cents. “If customers want to stock up, that’s fine with us,” says David Partenheimer, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service. Forever stamps were introduced in 2007 with one design, the Liberty Bell, and they were such a big hit with the public that now all new first-class stamps have no denomination and are good for the cost of a 1-ounce domestic letter. The stamps celebrate actors, politicians, music, sports — and love. Last May, the Postal Service put out the Garden of Love stamp, continuing the almost 40-year-old Love series.